Clouds are meant for dreaming on
by NeenerNoot
Summary: Kiaalt spins a tale for her little sister in their persuite of happiness when she bothers her about her fantasies. -Character from my original series called "Rift". Contact me if you're curious. This has nothing to do with said story.-


Clouds are meant for dreaming on.

Ah, how simple it would be to reach up to one of those candy colored clouds and hold it in my hand. Would it be sticky like cotton candy? Or soft like a new pillow? I can only imagine. Science has a way of ruining dreams, you know? Like how clouds are not really giant wads of flying cotton, but water. Not quite heavy enough to fall but not so light as to simply remain unseen like the molecules in our air. How lame that sounds, and how disappointing it must be for a young child, who's only dream was to sit on a cloud, to be told that it was impossible. Yes, yes, science does apply, but it's not making people any happier by explaining it.

"You're doing it again, Kiaalt." A voice had made itself known in the smooth silence that had been nestled comfortably in my dark room. I sigh through my nose, not looking up from my work.

"Doing what?" I asked nonchalantly, though knowing exactly what I was doing for once.

"Arguing with nothing in particular. You do this every damn day. It's making my brain hurt, your logic." She said, surely not meaning to offend me, but succeeding in doing so anyways. I closed my eyes and ran a cold hand over my face. I hate this part of the conversation: arguing my point. The poor girl still doesn't get it.

"Nothing in particular, you say?" I begin slowly, turning in my seat to look at the girl. "Is that what you call science? The bane of myths?"

"Myths are myths. They're not real."

"Or so they'd have you believe." I stood from my chair, stretching my back tiredly before joining my sister at the foot of my bed. "Do you remember what you did in preschool? During Easter? Christmas? Saint Patrick's day? Those little stories the teachers would tell all of you youngsters about little tiny men dressed in green suits called Leprechauns? How they would turn all regular clovers into shamrocks on Saint Patty's day and leave glittering green footprints in their wake?"

"I. . . Do remember, yes. What does this have to do with you trying to ignore science?"

"I never said I was ignoring science." I sighed and leaned down to the blonde's level. "You are young. Growing up, quite frankly, sucks. As your big sister and mentor, I want to do my best to keep the things that had made us happier than anything alive in your heart." I pointed towards her chest for emphasis.

"So, then. . . Happiness is what you seek?" She asked, and when I nodded, her green eyes seemed to brighten up. "You say it's all you focus on. What is happiness to you and what makes it so wonderful to spend hours alone writing about it, hunched over your computer?" Ah, maybe she'll understand if I explain it like this. . .

"Hmm. . . You know that heavy, dark feeling you get when something's simply off with the day?" She nodded vigorously. "Well, I seek ways to avoid that. No, I don't ignore my problems, mostly because I do little that would cause problem, I simply look to something worth working for and center my very soul around that and make it through the day with the thought of that thing in mind." I said, making it as simple as I could for her. She blinked, then stared down at the grimy, once brightly colored flower rug that dominated my floor.

"I get that. . . But what is there to focus on that's good? I don't have many things to keep me happy. I have lots of friends and all, but. . . How do you do it? You have but a single friend or so, and yet it's not her you look forward to seeing. . . What's your secret?" She asked sincerely. My secret. . . That is a secret and nothing else. I can never disclose the source of my well-being to anyone, not even my little sister. My mind worked quickly, searching for a back up, and found this one thing in a matter of milliseconds.

"Clouds." I stated. She blinked.

"Clouds?" She repeated, sounding unsure and confused.

"Clouds." I stated once more.

"I don't understand. . ."

"Ah, of course; no imagination whatsoever." I snorted. "Hm, tell me: What are clouds to you?"

"Uhm, they're big masses of water vapor or something, right?" She said. I stood up and began pacing around the room, the floor creaking oddly in random places.

"Yes,yes sure, if that's what you want it to be. Why is it not the place your spirit rests in when you fall asleep yourself and start to dream?" I inquired. The blonde thought hard for a moment. I continued. "You know those cirrus clouds way up high in the atmosphere? I think those are the ones that swoop down to our level, go through your window and endow vivid dreams unto you. And the cumulus? I think that they languidly settle over your mind, bestowing simple, sleepy dreams onto you." The eight year old's eyes were glittering with wonder.

"What about storm clouds?" She asked, resting her little chin on her hands which she had propped up on her elbows.

"Ah, cumulonimbus. . . They're the adventure dreams. Like the ones where you can feel the adrenaline of yourself falling and flying through the sky with the wings of s dragon!" I said, putting a bit of childish excitement into my voice to amuse the girl. She 'woah'ed in awe and bumped her heels against the metal bed frame. "Go look outside. Tell me what clouds you see." I said. She quickly jumped off of the bed and scrambled over to the window, pushing the thick blue curtains aside. She looked up, then back at me.

"Storm clouds!" She said, rushing back over to her spot on the bed. "Adventure dreams!" I smiled.

"Looks like it. Ah, and what timing. It's your bed time." She groaned. I held up a hand, willing her to let me finish speaking. "Try and think of something amazing you want to do right before you go to bed. It might happen in your dream." I said. Her eyes practically glowed.

"Riding a unicorn!" She said excitedly. I chuckled and ruffled her fine golden hair.

"Sure, I don't see why not. Now, let's go get you changed into your pajama- ahem, adventurer's outfit, and get you ready for bed." She squealed in excitement, hustling out of the room and into her own brightly lit hovel. She quickly found the most loudly colored, glitter laced pajama combo she could get from her closet and slipped into it. I helped her tuck herself into bed, before coming up with a little story about a brave, golden haired warrior princes riding throughout her lands on a beautiful unicorn steed. She fell asleep in a matter of minutes, her energy wasted by today's soccer game. I left her room, closing the door softly behind me before retreating back to my dark abode. I plopped myself onto the bed and lay back onto the pillow. Closing my eyes, which stung from tiredness from today's fitness test with my fellow Marines, I decided I'd call it a night, and perhaps try myself to dream in clouds. Whether it be storm clouds or wispy cirrus clouds, I didn't care. I gave someone something to look forward to at the end of the day. That's all I really ask for.

Cotton candy clouds would be nice, though.

~Fin~


End file.
